Trusted media drives advertising impact, report

RTL AdAlliance, the international sales house of RTL Group, has released this year’s TV Key Facts report, focusing on the role of trusted media and the differences between local markets. While digital platforms account for around 76 per cent of advertising investment, the report argues that assessing advertising by channel alone gives an incomplete picture. Evaluating performance through reach, engagement and impact provides a clearer understanding of each medium’s contribution to business results.

According to the report, content media — including entertainment and information formats — attracts 58 per cent of ad investment, with streaming TV recording the strongest growth at 12.5 per cent year on year. The study also shows that market conditions vary significantly across regions. In China, for example, retail dominates advertising, while in other markets television remains ahead.

Television continues to inspire trust among viewers

For 66 per cent of Europeans, brands that appear on television for the first time are perceived as more trustworthy. Television is also seen as the medium with the highest authenticity and least misinformation. Premium content such as legacy broadcast shows, now widely available on streaming platforms, make up most of the world’s top 25 streaming programmes. Linear television maintains a daily reach of 63 per cent in Europe, with viewers watching an average of 3 hours and 6 minutes per day — nearly one hour more than in the United States and 1.5 hours more than in China.

These figures underline how advertisers can use premium content and long viewing times to strengthen brand trust.

Market contrasts reveal changing viewing habits

Viewing patterns differ widely across Europe. The United Kingdom leads in connected TV adoption, with smart TVs in 98.5 per cent of households — 30 per cent above the European average. Across Europe’s main markets, more than 8.5 billion apps are launched daily on smart TVs, creating a highly diversified video environment split between streaming and linear viewing. With high spending per capita, the UK stands as Europe’s largest advertising market. Commercial television revenue has reached 5.27 billion GBP, driven by collaborations with new ad marketplaces and measurement tools.

Trust also remains strong in the news environment. The growing segment of News Junkies — people who check the news about six times a day and read seven articles daily — represents a valuable audience. The research shows that advertising alongside quality journalism is safe for brands, regardless of topic.

Data and insights rooted in transparency

Stéphane Coruble, Chief Executive Officer, RTL AdAlliance: "The media industry is flooded with data that can appear impressive, yet without expert interpretation, it often lacks meaning. Experts play a pivotal role in interpreting this data meaningfully. While global platforms frequently communicate seemingly impressive global numbers, transparency and accountability on campaign and market level are the more important differentiators. Which is what we are doing in the Total Video landscape. Our TV Key Facts aims to provide locally rooted, transparent, accountable and brand-safe data and insights for advertisers."

Aurélie Brunet de Courssou, Senior Director of Marketing, RTL AdAlliance: "The aim of the TV Key Facts is to provide advertisers and media experts with a report that combines meaningful data on our industry with the newest research and insights available. With country-specific highlights and global perspectives, more accurate profiles can be drawn for each market, enriched by interviews with experts on the newest data and studies. Most importantly, the TV Key Facts provides brands and advertisers with a recipe for building trust, the ultimate KPI."

Building brands through trusted environments

The report identifies three factors for advertisers seeking success with European audiences. First, be famous: visibility remains essential, and linear television still delivers the highest reach and time spent globally. Second, be culturally relevant: shows that capture national attention, such as reality series in Germany or long-running talent formats like Dancing with the Stars, help brands connect locally. Third, be visible in trusted media: advertising within professional content is considered 44 per cent more trustworthy than ads in user-generated material, with television leading at 37 per cent.

Advertising alongside news also performs strongly, maintaining purchase intent between 61 and 64 per cent regardless of whether the surrounding content is sensitive, neutral or positive. This makes news environments highly effective for reaching the valuable News Junkies audience, representing one in four viewers in the United States.

European viewing trends reaffirm media credibility

RTL AdAlliance’s TV Key Facts positions trusted, professionally produced long-form content as the strongest environment for advertisers. The report highlights that while digital transformation continues, media credibility and audience trust remain decisive for campaign effectiveness across Europe’s diverse markets.

www.rtl-adalliance.com

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